One Strong Willed Momma
by Alyssa86InMN
Summary: Kate is trying desperately to stay on the case, despite being in labor. Super Fluffy Babyfic


Her eyes, shades reminiscent of moss on a tree and patina from a copper coin with a ring of gold around the iris like a solar eclipse, were burned into his memories forever. He'd catch her eyes, searching his soul, seeking deep in his heart and revealing everything about him. He welcomed the penetrating gaze, the glimmer, the sparkle that was only reserved for him. He was a goner when his crystalline blue eyes met hers and he wouldn't have it any other way. A serene smile graced his lips as he watched her, a fat dry-erase marker flipping between her fingers as she leaned against a desk back to looking over the murder board. She had her arms crossed against her chest, resting delicately against her protruding belly.

"Castle, you're doing it again." Kate said, not turning her head from the white board.

Castle shook his head as though to break from a trance. "I'm sorry, I can't help myself. You're just so radiant and I'm in awe of your beauty."

Kate raised her brow and rolled her eyes as she stood up from the desk. "Are you sure it has nothing to do with the fact that your virility is on display for all to see because you knocked me up nine months ago?"

"Kate Beckett, why I never…" Castle followed Kate to her desk. "Can't a husband just tell his wife that he finds her stunning?"

"Yes, that's perfectly fine, but you've been doing it more and more ever the closer we get to the due date." Kate stated, taking a seat in her desk chair. Castle took a seat in his. She looked over to him, her face rigid but trying to remain stoic. Her jaw clenched as she gripped the edge of the desk until her knuckles whitened.

"What?" Castle asked. "You're giving me a look."

Kate let out a long breath. "Nothing."

"That wasn't nothing. Are you okay?" Castle asked, the wrinkles in his forehead more prominent.

"I'm fine, Castle. How about we catch this killer though?" Kate held up the file in front of her, completely ignoring Castle's concerned look.

~FBC~

Castle watched his wife from the break room as he sipped his coffee. She looked fine now, she was leaning back in her chair, her hands clamped together, and resting on her belly as she and the boys discussed their findings on their current murder investigation. He even caught her smiling her perfect smile, as if what had happened earlier never occurred. Castle knew what was happening though; he knew every nuance of his wife's emotions, facial expressions and little idiosyncrasies and was more in tune with her since she got pregnant. He knew exactly what was happening, the only problem was getting Kate to admit it. The little get together broke apart and Espo headed to the break room for a cappuccino.

"Hey Bro, what's the matter with you?" He asked, noticing Castle's stern gaze on Beckett.

"I think she's in early labor and she hasn't even said anything yet." Castle's jaw tensed.

"What?! How can you tell? She looked fine when I was talking to her just a little bit ago."

"Yeah, it's still early, so the contractions aren't happening that frequently. I knew I shouldn't have agreed to let her work so late into her pregnancy, but you know her, she wouldn't have it any other way." Castle continued to watch his wife over the brim of his coffee mug.

"At least Gates put her on desk duty right away though, so at least she's safe." Espo offered, switching from watching Beckett to watching Castle. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to catch her." Castle smiled slyly.

~FBC~

Kate sat as comfortably as a 39 week pregnant woman could in her desk chair. She looked over the file in front of her, scoping out any new leads she possibly could find, considering she was stuck behind a desk and couldn't actually do active duty. She had been having contractions every twenty minutes throughout the day, not anything too painful, until the one in front of Castle. She knew she should tell him, but he'd make her go home and rest until they needed to go to the hospital, but she had work she needed to do. There was a murderer out there that had to be caught and she was determined to not leave with an unsolved case.

"Beckett, we got a lead." Ryan called from across the bullpen.

Kate's womb clenched and tightened right at that moment, her eyes scrunched shut as she breathed through the more intense contraction a little more than ten minutes after the last.

"Are you okay? You're not in labor are you? Oh my God, you're in labor!" Ryan ran back and forth as though he was trying to figure out where to go and what to do first.

Through gritted teeth, the contraction still raging through her, Kate snapped, "Ryan! Shut up!"

"Where's Castle?"

Kate's body relaxed and her breathing returned to normal. "We can't tell Castle!" she whispered loudly at him as he came over to her. "He'll make me go home or to the hospital and I'm not ready to leave yet."

"Beckett are you nuts? You're in labor you need to leave!" Ryan attempted to reason with her.

"Remember when Jenny was pregnant, she had that nesting thing at the end of her pregnancy, solving this case has kind of become my case of nesting. I need to solve it before I leave."

"You aren't thinking clearly. I'm getting Castle." Ryan said.

"Do it and I will make sure you can't have any more kids." Kate threatened. Ryan cleared his throat and protectively covered himself. "Good, now please, just ignore me if you see me have another contraction. I'm fine. Millions of women have done this before."

~FBC~

Castle left the break room and joined his wife at her desk. She wouldn't meet his eyes every time he talked. He was determined to not leave her side and finally make her break that she was in labor, although he couldn't understand why she was hiding it from him.

"I'll be right back." Kate said, getting up from her chair.

"Let me come with you." Castle offered.

"No!" Kate said too quickly.

"Are you hiding something from me Detective Beckett?" Castle asked a smug smirk on his face.

"No, of course not, I just want to go to the break room. You don't have to follow me."

"Fine. I'll stay here then."

Kate left and when the break room door was closed, he got up and stealthily stood outside it watching his wife. She took a seat at the table and just sat there. Suddenly, she grabbed the edge of the table forcefully and tucked her chin to her chest. Her back was to the door, but he could see her back rising and falling quickly. He swiftly opened the door.

"Kate, are you okay?" he asked, rushing over to her, his game of trying to catch her both done and out of his mind. The only thing that mattered that his wife was okay. He knelt beside her, offering his hand as he watched her with worry written into his eyes. Kate gripped his hand firmly as the tightness in her belly continued. "Breathe, Kate." She breathed ragged breaths through her mouth as the contractions slowed to a stop. "How far apart are they?"

"About ten minutes." Kate looked away. "I knew the last one was about ten minutes apart so I didn't want you making me leave, so I came in here before the ten minute mark so you wouldn't catch me."

"Kate…" Castle began. "We need to get you to a hospital."

"No, Castle. I need to solve this murder first. You don't understand. I've never abandoned a case."

"You're not abandoning it. You're having a baby. The boys will be able to solve it without you." Castle attempted to bring logic into the debate.

Kate got up from the break room chair. "Castle, I have to stay here."

"What, Kate, and give birth here? You aren't going to solve the case in the next hour when your judgment is clogged by pain."

Kate left the break room and Castle was close behind. She suddenly stopped. "Shit."

"What?" Castle asked. Kate blushed as she looked down at the clear puddle at her feet. Castle followed her eyes. "That's it. We are going to the hospital. Now! Espo, Ryan! She's having the baby now!" Castle shouted, rushing Kate toward the elevator. "We'll call with updates!" And with that, they were off to the hospital.

~FBC~

Castle and Kate arrived at the hospital and were situated in a room. A few hours later they were still waiting for their baby. The contractions were now two minutes apart and Kate was feeling the intense urge to push. The doctor and nurses were nearby saying the time had finally arrived.

"Are you ready? Are you ready to meet our baby, Kate?" Castle asked, looking adoringly at her.

Kate smiled as they leaned closer together and kissed. "I love you, Rick."

"I love you, too." He responded with a smile across his lips.

"Okay, Kate. We're going to have you push in just a second here. So I'm going to need you to give me a big push in three, two and one." Dr. Malone said. Kate obeyed and held it for five seconds like he instructed her to do. Castle held her hand the entire time. "All right, that was a good push. The baby head is a little lower, but I'm going to need you to do it again." Kate took in heavy breaths to recover from the last push and prepared for the next.

Three more pushes later, the baby entered the world. The nurses suctioned out all the gunk from the baby's nose and mouth and the beautiful sound of baby Castle's cry could be heard throughout the room.

"Kate! You did it! It's our baby Finn!" Castle exclaimed like a child at Christmas.

"It's a boy you two, but I have a feeling you already knew that." Dr. Malone stated, handing the pink, wriggly and messy little boy over to the eager parents.

"Oh Finn Beckett Castle," Kate exclaimed as she started to cry in absolute joy. "Castle, he's beautiful."

"Thank you, Kate." Castle choked up.

Kate looked up from the baby to her husband, "Always."


End file.
